Prince William County Disorderly Conduct Lawyer

In Virginia, the law prohibits certain intentional or reckless disruptive actions in public places that might incite violence. However, there are several exceptions and defenses to the law. If you have been charged with disorderly conduct, a Prince William County disorderly conduct lawyer can examine the charges against you to determine if your conduct actually violated the law and if you were properly charged. For more information contact a disorderly conduct lawyer in Virginia.

A Prince William County Disorderly Conduct Lawyer Can Help

Even though disorderly conduct is prosecuted as a misdemeanor in the Commonwealth of Virginia, there are a number of reasons to contact an experienced Prince William County disorderly conduct lawyer. Among the other services offered by our lawyers, he or she can:

It’s always important to have a strong advocate in your corner when dealing with criminal charges, and our Prince William County disorderly conduct lawyers have the local knowledge and dedication to fight effectively for you.

Types of Disorderly Conduct Charges in Virginia

Under Virginia Code 18.2-415, you may be found guilty of disorderly conduct if you intend to cause, or recklessly create a risk of causing, public inconvenience, annoyance or alarm in a public place, and the conduct falls into one of the following categories.

Disorderly Conduct in Public Places

The first category that could be considered disorderly conduct in Virginia involves engaging in conduct that has a direct tendency to cause the person or persons the conduct is aimed toward to respond violently, while in or on a public place, such as a street, highway, public building, public transportation, or another public place.

Disorderly Conduct at Meetings and Services

The next category of actions that may constitute disorderly conduct involves disrupting a funeral or memorial service, government or political meeting, or a meeting of any school, literary society, or place of religious worship, when the action tends to cause those whom the action is directed toward to respond violently, or if the disruption interferes with the ability to conduct the memorial service, funeral, or meeting in an orderly manner.

Disorderly Conduct at School Events

The last category of conduct that could potentially be considered disorderly involves disrupting the operation of a school event or a school-sponsored activity, when the disruption may incite violence from the people the conduct was directed toward, or if the disruption interferes with the ability to conduct or carry out the meeting or activity in an orderly fashion.

Intoxication

In the last two categories, the conduct may qualify as disorderly if it is either willful, or the person was intoxicated at the time of the conduct, regardless of whether the intoxication resulted from any illegal or legal drug or alcohol use.

What Is Not Considered Disorderly Conduct?

Freedom of speech protects your right to display words or make utterances in a peaceful manner, especially when words or signs are not directed at any individual person. For instance, displaying a protest sign at a government meeting would probably not be considered disorderly conduct, so long as none of the other conditions were met.

Disorderly conduct violations must be carried out in public spaces. A business or property owner has the right to have you removed from their establishment if your behavior is disruptive, but in order for you to be charged with the crime of disorderly conduct, the actions would need to take place in public.

In addition, a prosecutor would need to establish that you intended for your actions to annoy, alarm or inconvenience people, or that you were reckless in not knowing that the behavior would have those results. The prosecutor would also have to show that the disruptive conduct caused or has a tendency to cause or incite people to respond violently. If you have questions about what is considered disorderly conduct or want to discuss your charge call a Prince William County disorderly conduct lawyer.

Call an Attorney in Prince William County Today

By choosing to work with a Prince William County disorderly conduct lawyer, you are taking a strong first step in resolving your case in a favorable manner. Call us today to conduct your free initial consultation and learn more about how we may be able to help you.